The present invention relates to a conveyor system for transporting carriers through a production facility and, more particularly, to a conveyor system that includes a power and free conveyor to transport the carriers through a first area and a second conveyor assembly to transport the carriers through a second area.
Conveyor systems are commonly used in manufacturing environments to transport workpieces. In many of these systems, the workpiece(s) is mounted to a carrier that is then drivably engaged by a conveyor. A number of conveyor and carrier styles are available in the art with a suitable configuration being selected based upon the demands of a particular application. In many complex manufacturing environments it is desirable to capitalize upon the operational benefits of different conveyor systems. In such instances, it is commonly necessary to transfer workpieces to and from carriers that are specifically configured for use with the particular conveyor.
Conventional skid conveyors, a combination of a skid and truck with rollers, with a chain on edge as the primary truck drive have been combined with a roller or belt conveyor to drive the truck in areas where accumulation, indexing, and switching of the trucks and workpieces is desired. However, in these systems, the accumulation, indexing, and switching capabilities are limited to areas where the chain drive is disengaged from the trucks. Further, the trucks are provided with additional components, such as rollers, to stabilize the truck when driven by the chain.
Power and free conveyors are also commonly used in the art to provide accumulation, indexing, and switching of carriers. However, power and free conveyors generally lack the degree of stability desired for certain assembly operations. Accordingly, the art has failed to develop a conveyor system that provides accumulation, indexing, and switching capabilities outside of assembly areas and adequate stability within the assembly areas.